Hip Hop

Nipsey Hussle's family is making sure the cannabis empire he'd started to build still comes to fruition, despite his tragic death.

On Friday, the estate dropped a new documentary titled "The Marathon Cultivation" which chronicles the grind Nip and his brother Samiel Asghedom endured in creating their favored Marathon OG marijuana strain.

The doc also serves as the official announcement of the upcoming opening of their dispensary The Marathon (Collective), which opens on June 18 in Los Angeles.

TMZ Hip Hop attended the screening last week … Sam greeted the crowd, detailing some upcoming plans -- including getting Nip a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame this summer.

All Money In artists J. Stone, Pacman da Gunman and BH -- along with some other family members -- were also at the event.

The 40-minute film features a well-placed cameo from Snoop Dogg, who sang the product's praises when Nipsey hand-delivered him a special package.

The Action Jackson nickname for Lamar Jackson just got a whole other meaning -- as in Lights Camera Action -- 'cause the Baltimore Ravens star just made an appearance in a music video with Kodak Black!!!

The quarterback's cameo came about two minutes into the vid for Loe Shimmy's rap song, "Bounty," which features Kodak on the track.

In the flick that was released Thursday night, you can see Jackson rockin' gold chains and wearing an all-black fit while chillin' with Kodak in a hotel room.

Loe also pays homage to the former NFL MVP in the video by showing a shrine of the 25-year-old signal-callers helmets and framed jerseys.

Jackson was hyped about the appearance ... sharing it on his IG and saying, "Motion Boyz 🚀🚀"

Of course, the guest star role shouldn't surprise many ... Jackson and Kodak go way back, growing up together in Pompano Beach, Florida. The two actually went to the same elementary school!

In fact, when Kodak was serving a 46-month sentence in federal prison back in 2019, LJ reached out to then-President Donald Trump to plead for an early release.

"Hey Donald Trump, my friend Kodak Black deserves to be commuted," Jackson said on Twitter last January.

"The system punished him way to hard for a paperwork crime #freekodak."

The life, legacy and death of rap star XXXTENTACION is the subject of an upcoming documentary, and his loved ones say it will unpeel another layer of his mystique.

We chopped it up with X's mother Cleopatra Bernard and manager Solomon Sobande in NYC outside a screening for "Look At Me: XXXTENTACION" ... and his mom admits the film isn't designed for image control.

Cleopatra tells us the film's goal is more to show people, like her son, do make mistakes and are only human.

She also admits she wished they had included documents alleging X's girlfriend was not pregnant at the time of the domestic abuse incident he copped to ... clearly one of those mistakes to which his mother's referring.

The doc is directed by acclaimed filmmaker Sabaah Folayan and hits Hulu on May 26.

Cleo screened the film for a select few rappers -- Fivio Foreign, 21 Savage, Tory Lanez and 50 Cent. -- and she says they all gave it a '10.' She adds that Fiddy agrees the docs regarding X's gf should have made the final cut.

Quavo and Offset are on the outs again, and this time it means Migos is done as a group -- at least that's the online buzz, and Quavo isn't doing anything to put out that fire.

Huncho was at LAX Thursday when a photog asked him about reports the trio is breaking up, and his response is ... interesting. All the talk about Migos' demise stems from 2 things: Quavo's new Offset-less project and a bunch of social media UNfollows.

He was happy to talk about one of those things — namely, his and Takeoff's new track, "Hotel Lobby." The new duo's taking the name Unc & Phew, due to their family ties — but Quavo deftly dodged the topic of Offset.

ICYMI ... Offset and Cardi B stopped following Quavo and Takeoff on Instagram, and Quavo stopped unfollowed Offset and Cardi. Takeoff's like Switzerland: he's still following everyone.

So, is this real beef? Quavo isn't saying, which makes us lean toward this being a skillful marketing scheme for Unc & Phew.

The "TMZ Hip Hop" crew tackled the potential break-up news on Thursday's episode, and if it's true they found the silver lining ... for Cardi and Offset's fans, anyway.

Check out full episodes of the show on these stations:

New York: 11 PM MY9 (WWOR)
Los Angeles: 2:30 PM FOX11 (KTTV)
Chicago: 12 AM FOX32 (WFLD)
Philly: 12 AM FOX29 (WTXF)
Dallas: 12:30 PM FOX4 (KDFW)
Houston: 12:30 PM FOX26 (KRIV), 10 PM MY20 (KTXH)
Washington, DC: 12 AM FOX5 (WTTG), 6:30 PM FOX5 PLUS (WDCA)
Seattle: 11:30 PM FOX13 (KCPQ)
Phoenix: 11:30 PM FOX10 (KSAZ)
Minneapolis: 11:30 PM FOX9 (KMSP)

Bobby Shmurda is dancing for joy ... literally, now that the New York State Senate has signed off on the "Rap Music on Trial" bill.

The newly proposed law prevents cops and prosecutors from using rappers' lyrics against them in court cases. The bill has been championed by the likes of Jay-Z, Killer Mike, Fat Joe, Kelly Rowland and several other artists.

Although the new law would be too little too late for Bobby -- he served 6 years in prison for weapons possession -- the topic hits close to home for him. The lyrics of his big 2014 hit record "Hot N***a" made him a target for law enforcement.

While Bobby is excited for things to come, he really hopes to see the rest of the country adopt similar measures ... especially in Georgia, where Young Thug, Gunna and 26 other YSL members are fighting RICO gang charges.

Legal matters aside, Bobby's extremely hyped -- you really gotta see his energy -- about having a lock on hip hop this summer. He doubled down on what he'd previously promised during a chat with the "TMZ Hip Hop" crew.

His new visual for "They Don't Know" is out now and his EP that's dropping next month will feature his GS9 Records brother, Rowdy Rebel. On top of that, he has an LP coming later in the summer.

Master P says no one should be behind bars for low-level marijuana offenses, and he's not just blowing smoke ... he's actively trying to get people freed from prisons across the U.S.

The music icon joined us on "TMZ Live" Thursday and told us about his upcoming benefit concert for Friday's "Cannabis Freedom Day" ... and why more states need to change their drug laws.

Master P says there are way too many people locked up for possession of as little as $5 to $100 worth of pot -- in his home state of Louisiana and elsewhere -- and he says it's unfair and is wreaking havoc on entire communities.

To bring awareness to "Cannabis Freedom Day," Master P's No Limit Reunion Tour is performing in Norfolk, VA ... where he's taking the stage along with Mystikal, Silkk, Mia X, Fiend, Mr. Serv-on, Choppa Style, Mercedes and Juvenile.

Master P says he wants to put more pressure on states, like Louisiana, to follow California's lead and release people incarcerated for cannabis convictions while changing laws in the process. There have been over 60,000 people released in Cali, and with weed becoming decriminalized in 34 states, Master P wants to see more offenders get a second chance.

Chris Brown wants Rihanna and A$AP Rocky to know he wishes them nothing but the best in welcoming their baby boy to the world.

Just about an hour after TMZ broke the story RiRi and A$AP were proud new parents, Brown took to IG to write "Congratulations" with prayer hands, a heart and a pregnant woman emoji. While he didn't name Rihanna specifically, it's pretty obvious to tell who he was referring to.

As we told you first ... the couple's baby boy was born in Los Angeles on May 13, we don't yet know the baby's name.

Of course, Chris and Rihanna dated from 2007 to 2009 until things got violent. During an argument in February of '09, Brown attacked Rihanna, leaving her face bloodied and bruised to the point she had to be hospitalized.

Brown turned himself in to the police shortly after the incident and months later pled guilty to a felony assault charge. He accepted a plea deal that included community labor, 5 years probation and domestic violence counseling. There was also a 5-year restraining order put in place.

Yo Gotti arguably has the strongest roster in hip hop ... an argument just made by Billboard Magazine, which placed him on the cover with his lineup of high-profile Collective Music Group artists.

But, once upon a time, the label was named Cocaine Muzik Group -- a name Gotti says 50 Cent advised him to drop years ago because the name wasn't built for commercial success.

Gotti told BB that Fiddy said, "Yo, you’re winning, but you can’t be Cocaine Muzik Group -- that’s too harsh. They’re going to be scared of that.” The Memphis rap legend had actually risen to prominence with his Cocaine Muzik mixtape series, and his last coke-tilted LP dropped in 2015.

Today the label is big business as Gotti, Moneybagg Yo, EST Gee, Blac Youngsta, Mozzy and their new artist Lehla Samia -- the new Lambo owner -- are gracing the latest Billboard cover, and talking about their super lucrative Interscope deal.

Interestingly, Gotti's laughing off the rumored $10 million deal as chump change ... 'cause he's got it like that.

Not pictured was CMG rising star 42 Dugg, who not only missed the flight for the photo shoot, but was recently arrested on delinquent warrant charges and is now facing serious prison time.

Veteran rap group Onyx isn't tripping about their recent Verzuz with Cypress Hill, even though CH is roasting Triller for not promoting the matchup like previous editions.

We caught Fredro Starr and Sticky Fingaz out in NYC who were big excited to promote their new album, "Onyx Versus Everybody," but downplayed the notion that Verzuz creators Swizz Beatz and Timbaland didn't hold up their end of the bargain when it comes to marketing.

The event went down as part of a Triller fight night card, which featured Evander Holyfield's son Evan -- getting slammed da duh duh, btw -- but wasn't streamed on IG Live the way past Verzuz battles have been.

Onyx also feels regardless if you saw the battle or not, CH got rolled up, lit and smoked like B-Real's Dr. Greenthumb cannabis brand!!!

Following the event, B-Real was so pissed at Triller/Verzuz's PPV decision, he made a 10-minute video explaining to fans why the move was a big L for hip hop culture.

Rihanna and A$AP Rocky are officially parents ... welcoming a baby boy to the world.

That's right, it's the couple's first kid together -- sources with direct knowledge tell us he was born on May 13 in Los Angeles -- but we don't yet know his name.

The last time we saw Rihanna was on May 9 in Los Angeles for Mother's Day weekend when she and Rocky grabbed dinner at Giorgio Baldi.

It was back in January when the couple announced they were expecting -- with an NYC photo shoot -- both sets of fans went nuts with excitement for RiRi and A$AP.

While Rihanna looked stunning throughout her pregnancy ... wearing designer looks and proudly showing off her baby bump, there was also some drama that went down.

As we reported, A$AP was arrested just last month in a surprise bust as the couple's private plane touched down at LAX. Law enforcement sources told us the bust was in connection to an incident where Rocky is accused of firing shots at an acquaintance, grazing his hand.

Nonetheless, Rihanna continued to support A$AP, even attending one of his shows, cheering for him backstage just a week after the arrest.

Florida rapper Rod Wave is now in the clear, legally speaking, after he was arrested for allegedly choking his girlfriend ... TMZ Hip Hop has learned.

According to legal docs, prosecutors in Osceola County, FL reviewed the May incident, and determined the case wasn't suitable for prosecution.

In the arrest report, Wave's GF accused him of bursting into their home, and choking her until she couldn't breathe because he thought she was talking to other men. The woman, who shares 2 kids with the "SoulFly" rapper, called cops, but Rod had left the scene by the time they arrived.

He was later pulled over and arrested, and even shared a cryptic video of himself surrounded by police cruiser lights.

Three days following the arrest, Rod Wave announced his next album will be entitled "Beautiful Mind." He'll now have plenty of time and freedom to complete and release it!

Flavor Flav has a new mouth to feed -- after taking a paternity test, it's been confirmed he has a 3-year-old son, who will now bear Dad's surname.

The boy's name is Jordan and his maternal grandparents, Barry and Parchi, tell TMZ ... their daughter, Kate, used to be Flav's manager for a few years -- a period during which they had a romantic relationship.

At some point, Kate -- who no longer works for Flav -- got pregnant and had Jordan, but for a good while, we're told Flav wasn't sure the kid was his son.

However, since then ... Jordan's grandparents tell us FF submitted DNA which lined up with Jordan's. Sooo, as Maury would put it ... Flav IS the father!!!

We're told child support and a custody arrangement have been established. It also sounds like Flav is spending more QT with Jordan these days -- he's taught him how to play the drums a bit -- and he's talked to Kate about Jordan taking his family name ... Drayton.

They've already filed legal docs to make it official, and there will be a hearing later this year. Jordan is Flav's eighth child, so as he might put it ... yeahhhh little boyyyy!!!

Master P has been split from his estranged wife for over a decade, but he's only now been officially declared a single man in the eyes of the law.

According to legal docs, obtained by TMZ, Master P and Sonya Miller are officially no longer a couple ... it remains to be seen if their divorce is totally finalized or if they still have some things to work out.

Believe it or not, Sonya first filed for divorce all the way back in 2013, and Master P has previously claimed they settled everything in private in 2016 ... but never submitted it to the court.

Fast forward to December 2021 -- when Master P submitted docs asking a judge to declare him legally single -- which has now happened.

Master P and Sonya got married in 1989 -- the rapper has 9 kids -- including Romeo Miller (Lil Romeo).

Kendrick Lamar's new album "Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers" is officially his last for Top Dawg Entertainment, and that has labelmates, like Sir, pondering what the future holds for K Dot.

We got the Inglewood-born crooner Thursday at LAX, and picked his brain about King Kendrick's departure. He echoed some of what TDE founder Anthony "Top Dawg" Tiffith said prior to 'Mr. Morale' dropping -- that Kendrick will always be family.

Sir added a note about Kendrick's business savvy, and gave a shout to the pgLang movement. He also plugged his own new music — a summer project entitled "Heavy."

The warmer months seem to be Sir's thing. His last album, "Chasing Summer," dropped in August 2019 and featured the Kendrick collab "Hair Down."

Of course, Kendrick isn't leaving TDE a serious going away gift -- 'Mr. Morale' is projected to be the biggest album of 2022, so far. Plus, he'll be kicking off a 65-date tour soon!

'BMF' star Lil Meech allegedly stole a $250,000 Richard Mille watch and got caught ... leading to his arrest for grand theft.

The 22-year-old actor/rapper -- handpicked by 50 Cent to star as his dad, Big Meech, in the Starz ‘BMF’ series -- got booked on two counts of first-degree grand theft and a separate count of organized fraud on March 14.

Cops say the actor walked into Miami's Haimov Jewelers back in February and put a down payment on the Richard Mille using his $80,000 platinum Rolex, but he allegedly failed to pay the remaining $200K balance and never returned the watch.

Cops also accuse him of trying to trade the watch for a different Richard Mille piece at a different store.

Records show Meech was released on bond the same day he was arrested. Lil Meech hasn’t reacted to charges publicly, but he recently posted an Instagram photoshoot to let fans know he’s unbothered.

Young Thug claims he's sleeping in a "dungeon" -- after being named an alleged mastermind of a criminal organization -- but jailhouse officials say he's just whining about the standard jail experience.

We broke the story ... Thug and his legal team filed an emergency petition last week, citing all sorts of inhumanity in his holding cell such as having a windowless room and being served "inedible" food.

The local Atlanta WSBTV media took a tour of a "typical" cell in the building and acknowledged the facility was "above board." One jail official said, "This is a jail, it is a detention center. It’s not the Ritz Carlton, so you have to recognize that."

The official's insinuation is pretty clear ... Thug is in jail, which is a far cry from the bottomless luxuries he's used to rapping about on his No. 1 albums. Sounds like that's why he's complaining.